If you decide to visit New York City in May or June, be aware that you made a good choice! These are just the best months to enjoy New York City, its streets, and its parks. The New Yorkers come back to life thanks to the sun and the first warm temperatures of the season.
In this post, you will find all you can do during this period of the year in NYC.
The weather forecast for May and June
Temperatures highs: May: 22°C or 71°F //// June: 26°C or 78°F
Temperatures lows: May: 13°C or 55°F//// June: 18°C or 64°F
The month of May offers one of the best times to visit New York. Let’s say that it’s warm enough to walk around New York streets and cool enough to be comfortable. An ideal time to visit NY before the busy summer season kicks in.
June, it’s the first month when you can freely walk around New York without catching a cold and enjoy the beginning of the summer festivities in New York. So it’s warm but not scorching hot like what you can experience in July or August in New York.
Public holidays in May
It’s a holiday to remember those who fell to defend the United States of America. It’s also the kick-off of the summertime season for many Americans. Many New Yorkers enjoy their day off since Memorial Day is a national holiday (banks, schools, and government offices are closed). The ritual includes barbecuing and a day at the local park or beach. Do not worry, most tourist attractions remain open on that day.
There will be several parades :
– In Manhattan: the parade will take place in Inwood, at the crossroads of Broadway and Dyckman Streets.
– In Queens: don’t miss the Little Neck-Douglaston, the biggest parade in New York. It starts at 2.00 pm on Northern Blvd (more info here).
– In Brooklyn: in 2023, it will be the 156th Memorial Day parade. It starts at 11.00 am at the crossroads of 87th St and 3rd Ave.
Cultural events in New York City in May and June
There are a lot of free cultural events in New York in May and June!
The legendary Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace is back! Since 1940, there has not been a rollerskating rink in this mythical New York City square.
Hours vary depending on the day of the week.
When: From April to October 2023.
Flipper’s Roller official site
Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Bryant Park Summer Film Festival is a fest inviting you to watch free movies on a giant screen in Bryant Park every Monday at dusk from June to August. You can access the park easily with your blanket, picnic, and take a seat in front of the giant screen starting at 5 pm. Then, the movie will start at sunset between 8 and 9 pm. If the weather doesn’t permit the screening, the shows are canceled; there are no “rain dates.”
More information: Movie Nights at Bryant Park
The Rooftop at Pier 17
More than 60 concerts are waiting for you at Pier 17!! Simple Plan, Sum 41, Blondie, and Jason Mraz, to name a few…
Get your tickets now!
Dates: From May 3 to July 14, 2023.
TriBeCa Film Festival
The film festival was created in 2002 to renew the South of Manhattan after 9/11. The best actors in the industry reunite to attend the festival!
Dates: June 7-18, 2023.
More info: TriBeCa Film Festival
Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park is a 50+ years old tradition; a number of free shows brought together 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Great artists like to participate in this tradition with people coming from around the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classics. The tickets are free and are available at the ticket booth or online.
Dates: June 8 – August 6, 2023.
More information: Shakespeare in the Park
Museum Mile Festival
The Museum Mile Festival takes place every year, and it will be on June 13 this year on the 5th Avenue (closed to traffic on that particular day) and a block away from the MET. You can enjoy musical and artistic entertainment for adults and kids. On top of that, entrance is free for 9 museums with activities such as music shows, and performing artists on 5th avenue. There are also some stands with face painting and sidewalk art greatly appreciated by kids. This event takes place between 82nd and 104th street on 5th avenue.
Date: June 13, 2023.
Washington Square Music Festival
The Washington Square Music Festival takes place every Tuesday in June with free concerts of diverse kinds of music: jazz, fado, classical music, salsa…
Dates: Every Tuesday in June, 2023.
More information:Washington Square Music Festival
Parades in New York City in May and June
The sun and warm temperatures are back in New York City along with diverse parades!
AIDS Walk NY
The AIDS Walk is an annual March in the streets of New York to fight AIDS that takes place on May 15, 2023. The walk was created in 1986 and brings around 50,000 people every year and raises close to 4.5 million dollars before the march starts.
Date: May 15, 2023.
More information: AIDS Walk NY
Dance Parade
On May 20, 2023, another event that takes place every year, the Dance Parade. With the same spirit as dance and Fashion Shows around the world, the Dance Parade brings together different cultures and ethnicities in New York. The Dance Parade celebrates the history of dance and brings forward the creativity, vivacity, and beauty of diverse dance styles.
Date: May 20, 2023.
More information: NYC Dance Parade
Fleet Week
Since 1984, the city of New York has honored the US Navy and Marine Corps with the “Fleet Week.” This event returned to NYC in March 2022 with military demonstrations and the chance for the public to attend and visit the ships. The day of remembrance usually takes place on Memorial Day and is the highlight of the week of the festivities, including Chorus and Air Force shows to honor those who fell for the US.
Dates: May 25-30, 2023.
More information: NYC Fleet Week
Mermaid Parade
Every year at the end of June, the Mermaid Parade takes place. It’s a well-known parade where women disguise themselves as mermaids. The event happens on Coney Island and has been a tradition since 1983. The parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt in the air, and especially the beginning of summer. The participants wear handmade mermaid costumes or other sea creatures. The parade is then followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a really great family-friendly event. If you want to see unusual costumes, give it a try since there’s a good vibe, but wear your own costume!!! 🙂
Date: June, 17, 2023.
More information: Mermaid Parade
New York City Pride
The New York City Gay Pride is organized around several events from June 17-25, 2023.
Dates: June 17-25, 2023.
More information: NYC Pride
Food events in May and June
New York offers a great option to celebrate food!
Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival has become one of New Yorkers’ favorite events since its creation in 1973. 9th avenue closes to cars during the festival. For two days, the streets offer the scents of delicious dishes. Around 1 million visitors flock to the area located between 37th and 57th street and try a number of the different specialties offered. Moreover, the attractions go well beyond food and include music and dance shows. This is a great event for the whole family to attend.
Dates: May 20-21, 2023.
More information: Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
Sport events in May and June
You can participate in sports events or reserve your seats to watch a game! Either way, there’s a lot of fun for sports lovers!!!
Five Borough Bike Tour
The Five Borough Bike Tour takes place every year and is on May 7, 2023. If you want to discover New York on a bike and ride a distance of 42 Miles (=67, 5 km), this is the event for you!!!! You’ll be allowed to bike around NYC car-free and participate in one of the biggest biking events in the US, along with 30,000 bikers. Now, you need to know that registration is limited, so register ahead if you’re interested.
The trip will start in Lower Manhattan. You’ll head North toward the heart of Manhattan with Central Park, then Harlem and the Bronx before returning South along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there, you will ride toward Queens and Brooklyn, where you’ll head towards the highway before getting on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island. The whole trip is about 42 miles and mostly flat except for the bridges 🙂
More information: Five Borough Bike Tour
Baseball games
In May and June, even if there aren’t any NBA events, you can still watch Major League Baseball games in New York with their 2 teams: the Mets and the Yankees. Especially with the new Yankees stadium located in the Bronx!!!! Pure Bliss!!!
Soccer games
The second important professional sport available in May and June in New York is Soccer.
The team representing NY is called the New York City FC and they play at the Yankees Stadium. The other team is the New York Red Bulls and they do not play in NYC or New York State but very close by in New Jersey, a 20 min train ride away from Manhattan.
NEW YORK CITY FC ticketsRED BULLS tickets
Concerts and shows in New York in May and June 2023
New York is well-known for its shows on Broadway and concert in one of its typical venues, like Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the Barclays Center to only name a few.
The best thing you can do is revise the calendar of events I keep up to date in NYCTT. You can find it here.
If you want to search for a special artist or venue in New York, you can also visit the TicketNetwork webpage and find out if your favorite singer will be in NYC during your stay there!
Commentaires et questions sur
What to do in New York in May and June 2023?
Des questions ou des remarques sur cet article ? Faites-nous en part dans les commentaires, nous nous ferons un plaisir de vous répondre et de vous aider !
I know that Hamilton is a must-see, but I didn’t get the chance go yet… You also have “The Icemen Cometh” with Denzel Washington, “The Boys in the Band” with Jim Parsons from the Big Bang Theory.
I have 2 childrens , first time in NY, and i Will stay very closet to time Square.
We Love sports , good food ,museum ,
What do you recommend?
Thanks
Well your best bet is to prepare a planning with the visits you can do during those 10 days.
Here you will find 4 types of plannings: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/week-planning-visit-new-york-4-different-types-plan/
You can download them and customize them. I can help you with improve it if needed.
How old are you children?
My wife and I will be in the NYC area from 28 May to 6 June. We will be staying at an RV Park in Jersey City and plan on taking the train into the city. What would you recommend? We are in our in early 70s, so night clubs and dancing are not our interest.
I have 4 types of plans to help you with your week in NYC, here you can find them: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/week-planning-visit-new-york-4-different-types-plan/
You can download the plans, customize them… The idea is to organize your visits ahead so you’ll know what to do once in NYC.
Tell me if you need help and if you want me to revise your own plan. I can always add some ideas depending on what you like the most.
Here’s what I can find for your dates: https://ticketnetwork.com.
But it doesn’t show events in bars. I’ve never been to a Decade of Soul night, it has to be fun!
There’s also places like Fat Cat where you don’t have to pay and there’s always bands playing during the night. I love this place, here it is: Fat Cat.
Then, I’m always updating the calendar of events in my blog. For the moment, there’s nothing special on your dates, but I’ll be working on it on the upcoming days.
thanks
I have an article describing all the activities you can do in New York if you’re going to NY with a teenager 😉
Here it is: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/things-to-do-teen-new-york-visits-shopping-walks-more/
For special events, you can revise this one: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/nyc-calendar/
Tell me if I can help you with more information.
Regards.
You can see the dates and purchase tickets here http://www.ticketnetwork.com/ticket/nhl-events.aspx
Best regards 🙂
Thanks
If you love jazz, r&b and blues, check this NYCTT article: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/top-10-jazz-clubs-new-york/ and the fat cat is another one with bands https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/greenwich-villages-fat-cat-bar/ and also my favorite.
By the way, I’m going to have to stop at the Hole in the wall and check it out. Thanks!!
Kiwis
I am updating two of my main articles, the one concerning sports games and the calendar of event (https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/nyc-calendar/)!
In May, you can go for a baseball game or a WNBA game. You can see more here: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/event/sports-new-york-purchase-tickets/
The Brookyn Nets are doing well, I don’t know how far they’ll go for the playoffs 😉
The NHL Playoffs are just starting this week.
Concerning shows, it depends on what kind of music you like the most. The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Mamma Mía… are the most popular shows in Broadway. You can see more information here: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/event/shows-broadway-purchase-ticket/
For nightlife, I can recommend that you go to a rooftop bar like The Ides, 230 Fifth Rooftop, Skylark, you can even book a Rooftop or night tour (https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/?s=rooftop).
I also like several bars in New York, like Fat Cat (https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/greenwich-villages-fat-cat-bar/), Marie’s Crisis (https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/maries-crisis-cafe-greenwich-village/)…
Tell me if I can help you with more information.
Regards,
Memo NYCTT.
In June, the weather is much more nicer than it is right now 😉 It’s complicated to predict it for his year, you should revise this article: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/what-weather-forecast-expect-next-trip-new-york/, in which I indicate what to expect 😉
If you need more information or help to organize your trip, contact me again.
Memo NYCTT.
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